Pets can be an intermediate host for monkeypox infection

The European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) recommends that rat animals be isolated in separate isolation facilities, while pets such as dogs and cats can be isolated at home, where has an open-air outdoor space and is regularly examined by a veterinarian.

Pets belonging to rodents are most at risk because they are susceptible to monkeypox infection (Image: Getty Images)

According to the ECDC, people in Europe could theoretically spread the virus to domestic animals, making them the vectors of disease to others. This situation, if it happens, will lead to the virus spreading in the wild and potentially becoming an endemic disease that spreads from animals to humans on this continent.

However, the ECDC assessed the risk of human-to-animal cross-contamination as very low, and stated that it is not possible to assess specifically the risk of livestock being an intermediate host for the transmission of the monkeypox virus in Europe. Europe. The ECDC noted that national health authorities should work with veterinary experts to ensure the capacity to test and isolate animals that have been exposed to the disease.